The Night Before
by ElizaMitchell
Summary: Firsts and lasts. Pre-Day 5.


_Hi guys! So I haven't posted anything in a while and I have a couple different things in the works right now, but I thought I'd go ahead and post this. It's a little different from the stuff I normally write, so I hope you like it._

_If you wanna review, that's cool, too._

_ Thanks for reading. xoxo_

* * *

><p>Michelle Almeida didn't scare easy. She was rational. She was level-headed. She approached a situation coolly and collectedly after careful analysis and strategic consideration.<p>

Pregnant Michelle Almeida was another story, and she became suddenly aware of how true that was when Sunny Macer's name showed up on her caller ID that evening. Her blood ran cold as she picked up the phone.

"Dr. Macer. Hi." She noticed Tony's eyes widen from a few feet away.

"Hello, Michelle," the familiar voice greeted warmly. "How are you feeling?"

The call didn't come as a surprise by any means, but it caught Michelle off guard all the same. When her doctor examined her medical history and decided a previous exposure to a typically fatal virus was probably cause for some concern, Michelle wasn't entirely shocked that the possibility hadn't crossed her mind before. The whole ordeal felt so far in her past, she rarely allowed her thoughts to revisit it.

No one knew more about the bioagent than Sunny Macer, so she was the first person Michelle went to with the situation. She hadn't wanted to worry Tony over the minor chance that her exposure could have any effect on the baby. That, and the less she had to admit the possibility to even herself, the better. But since the Cordilla still remained relatively uncharted territory in the medical field and no one else from the hotel that day had lived to become pregnant, Macer had her undergo a series of tests, promising to get back to her as soon as she had the results.

"I'm feeling really good, thank you." She faked a reassuring smile to her husband as she paced over to him. "Just a little tired."

"Well, I have good news. Is now a good time?"

Most of Michelle's unease evaporated in light of those words. _Good_news. "Yeah, hold on, Tony's right here. I'll put you on speaker." She set the phone down on the counter beside them and hit the speaker button, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth subconsciously. Her husband eyed her suspiciously, questions that would have to wait burning in his eyes. "All right, we're ready."

"I just got your test results back, and we were able to confirm that because you were not infected, your exposure to the Cordilla virus poses no significant threat to the fetus. Your baby is fine."

Relief flooded through her entire body as she felt Tony's fingers close around hers. She exhaled sharply, moisture gathering in her eyes. Her shoulders finally relaxed, and she could almost feel some of her usual color return to her face.

"You never told me you had tests done." His words were soft, holding no accusation. Just genuine concern.

She sniffed. "I know, sweetheart. I didn't want to worry you, that's all."

"I told Michelle that based on my knowledge of the pathogen," the doctor explained, "I felt it was highly improbable that there would be any negative ramifications."

"But you wanted to be sure."

"Right. I'm now absolutely certain there are no risks associated with the exposure."

Tony exhaled slowly. He was relieved, really, but still disconcerted with his wife's perpetual need to take every bullet on her own, when he never wanted her in the line of fire to begin with. He silently wondered how long she'd been dreading this phone call, how long the matter had been in the back of her mind, nagging at her subconscious. How many times he'd started a conversation about their son or daughter while his Michelle worried herself sick and he hadn't noticed. He was upset, more with her or with their past trying to threaten their future, he didn't know. But as for right now, their baby was healthy. He'd let it go. "Anything else, doctor?"

"Actually, yes. During testing we were able to determine the sex of the baby, if you're interested."

Michelle squeezed Tony's hand and grinned. She knew her husband. If she didn't want to find out, he would wait, but she could tell as soon as they heard the words that he was dying to know.

"What do you think, sweetheart?"

He was suddenly unabashedly giddy—yes, even Tony Almeida could be giddy when the situation allowed—and Michelle stifled a giggle as she leaned back against the counter, arms folded over her. "I'll be happy either way..."

"Me too."

"But you still wanna know." She grinned widely as she made the accusation and he mirrored the action, nodding. "Okay..."

The doctor spoke up, an audible smile in her voice. "So that's a 'yes', then?"

"Yes." The answer came at the same time from the pair and they laughed softly as Tony's hand curled around Michelle's waist. "See, she acts like I'm the impatient one, but she really wants to know as bad as I do," he teased.

"Oh, stop..." She chuckled, fingers trailing up to his elbow and back down his warm forearm absentmindedly. He was right. She could hardly wait another minute.

Sunny cleared her throat; whether she was trying to hide her amusement or not, Michelle couldn't tell. "You're having a boy. "

The moment the news reached their ears, broad, uncontainable smiles broke out on their faces. Michelle felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked at Tony. The light in his eyes, the beaming grin on his face. Their little boy would have that grin. They were having a little boy.

"A-are you sure?" Tony's voice was thick as his hand lightly brushed across his wife's still flat stomach.

"I verified the results myself," the doctor confirmed. "Congratulations, Tony and Michelle."

He wrapped up the call in a daze and thanked Dr. Macer on both their behalves before hitting the END button.

A short, soft laugh escaped Michelle. The moment was too perfect, and nothing quite encapsulated what she was feeling. She shook her head, smiling still. "I don't even know what to say."

"C'mere..." His arms came around her small frame and she heard him hum with content as they swayed gently. His hand was in her unruly curls, cupping her head to his chest. "You don't need to say anything, sweetheart. I know."

When he loosened his hold on her she leaned back in his arms, giggling with tears in her eyes as she reached for his face and pulled it down to meet hers, kissing him sweetly and thumbing his bristly cheek.

"Michelle."

"Yeah."

He laughed humorlessly. "You gotta stop scaring me like that. If you think something's wrong, I wanna know about it."

"I know," she sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I just... If it was really nothing..."

"But if it wasn't? Michelle. I'm always here for you."

"I know that."

"I..." He let out an exasperated sigh. "I just hate seeing you that scared."

Guilt was added to the mix of her emotions and she nodded understandingly. "I don't know why I was. Sunny was sure we'd be fine. I believed her."

"I know," he said easily, brushing a particularly rebellious curl behind her ear. "You just needed him to be okay."

She nodded as her lip curled up at the way he'd said 'him'. How natural it already sounded. "I think someone would've been secretly disappointed if this little guy was a girl."

He scoffed light-heartedly at such an allegation. "No way."

"Oh, admit it. You wanted a little Almeida boy to watch your Cubs games with."

"I'm not admitting anything." He dropped a fervent kiss on her nose. "I would've been more than happy with a little Michelle."

She glowed. "Really?"

"Really." His brown eyes were earnest as they looked deep into her own. "Any daughter of mine would be a Cubs fan by nature, anyway."

She giggled, muttering something to the likes of "I should've known" as her arms slid around his neck. "So, you think we should get Little Tony to bed soon? We have that meeting early tomorrow."

Tony groaned slightly. "Ah, yeah... At what, eight?"

"Yeah."

He lifted a hand from her waist to scratch his cheek. "And what if I just wanted to stay in bed with my wife all day?"

Michelle smirked. "She would say that sounds nice, but we have a business to run and bills to pay."

"Mm. And Little Tony to feed."

"That too."

He sighed exaggeratedly. "Well. I guess we have no choice then."

She shrugged and next thing she knew she was in his arms as he—with very little effort—carried her newlywed-style toward their bedroom. "What are you...?"

He silenced her lips with his own before she could argue, grinning into her mouth as he felt her arms tighten around his neck and hand delve into his hair. She tipped her head back and laughed when they broke it off but still went back for more.

Reality hit Tony full force that night. This was real. You wouldn't know it to look at her, but Michelle was carrying his son. His _son_.

But that was the night before. The night before the meeting with Rick Rosen. The night before he let her leave. Before the bomb. Before Christopher Henderson.

The night before the world fell from under them.


End file.
